Hydraulic pumping power



April 17, 1928.

w. G. COREY ET AL HYDRAULIC PUMPING POWER j- Filed March 29. 192e 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 17, 1928.

w. G. coREY ET Ax.

HYDRAULIC PUMPING POWER Filed MaIOh 29. 192

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 mfc Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM c+. CoREY, or sAN FRANCISCO, AND CHARLES A. TRoW, or COALINGA, CALIFORNIA.`

HYDRAULIC P'UMIING POWER.

Application filed March 29, 1926. Serial No. 98,119.

Our invention relates to the art of pumping wells, and more particularly to a system for transmitting power from a central motor or engine to a plurality of wells lfor the simultaneous operation of their pumps. Such systems are known in'the art as pumping powers, and commonly comprise a vertical shaft, rotated at a. slow speed by the engine, and provided with a crank or eccentric from which cables or rods radiate outwardl to the various wells and are connecte with the sucker rods thereof by 'suitable jacks, the opera-tion of the crank or eccentric successively pulling and releasing the various cables or rods and thereby operating the well pumps.

The principal object of our present invention is to provide a umping power in which the power is transmltted by fluid under pressure. A power driven pump is provided at a convenient location, and suitable conduits Y or pipe lines conduct the pressure fluid from said pump to the various wells, each of which is provided with a hydraulically operated jack for transmitting the power from Athe pressure fluid to the sucker rods of the well pump. The pressure or power fluid is contained in a closed system, as will be herein-v after described, and is distributed from the central pump to the various well-pump jacks, by an automatically operated valve or switch mechanism, preferably in such a manner that the load on the driving motor or engine is.

constant.

By the use of our invention, we are able to reduce materially the operating and maintenance cost of a pumping power system. A small, high speed engine or motor, of maximum eliciency, can be used to drive the power pump, and there are no moving mechanical connections, such as cables or rods, which re quire frequent repair and adjustment. Moreover, the system may be used with wells of any depth, and vwith well-pumps of any desired length of stroke.

A further object of our invention is to provide, as a part of our pumping power system, a suitable jack or hydraulic engine for operating the well pump in such a manner that the movement of the sucker. rod, at the ends of its stroke, is gradually arrested and reversed, without jar or sudden strain.

Other objects and advantages' will become apparent from the following description of a. preferred embodiment of our Invention, which should be read with 'the understandin that the form, proportion, and arragement o the several parts may be varied, within the limits of the claims hereto appended, without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in said claims.

lVit-h this in view a preferred form of'our invention will now be described fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is a part sectional plan of the distributing valve and its connections.

Fig. 2 is a diagram, on a reduced scale, illust-rating the general arrangement of our system. p

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of one of the jacks for transmitting the power from the pressure fluid to the sucker rod of a well.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3.

Referring irst to the diagram shown in Fig. 2, the reference numeral l indicates the power pump, which is understood to be operated continuously by anyV suitable motor or engine, not shown. 2 is the intake and 3 is the discharge of said pump. 2 and 3 are manifolds respectively connecting said intake and discharge with a distributing valve or hydaulic switch indicated at 4.

5 is a pipe line leading from the valve 4 to the jacks for operating the pumps of the wells indicated at 6, and 7 is a similar pipe linev \is alternately returned therefrom to the pump intake 2. Thus during one-half of the cycle, the pump 1 delivers uid under pressure to the jacks of the wells 6, for example,

power pump l drawing spent fluid from the jacks of the wells 6 and delivering it under pressure to the jacks of the wells 8, thus coinpleting the cycle.

It should be noted that the power iuld is circulated in a closed system, and has no connection with the well Huid. The power fluid may be of any suitable nature, but is preferably a liquid. It should also be noted that thel number of wells pumped by one power may be varied to suit the particular localconditions, and that the number of jacks in each group may also be varied. The aggre ate capacity of the )acks 1n one group should be approximately equal to the aggregate capacity of those in the other group, however. It is entirely possible, moreover, to operate more than two groups of jacks from one power pump. Y

Turning now to Fig. 1 of the drawings, the valve 4 comprises a pair of aligned cylinders 9 and 9', inwhich operate pistons 10 and 10', and said pistons are connectedtogetherby a l'od 11. In its central region, said rod carries a iston 12, which operates ina cylinder 13. tops 14. comprising fixed sleeves surrounding the rod 11, are provided for limiting the travel of said rod and its pistons. The cylinders 9, 13 .and 9 are connected together by suitable spacing frames 15, and are provided with suitable packing glands indicated at 16.

YThe cylinders 9 and 9 are respectively rovided with ports 17 and 17', which lead lnto surrounding chambers 18 and 18'. The pipe lines 5 and 7, leading to the two groups of jacks, terminate, respectively, in the chambers 18 and 18'. The pump intake manifold 2 connects with the outer ends of the cyl- A:io

inders 9`and 9', and the discharge manifold 3' connects with their inner ends. Said discharge manifold also has branches 19- and 19' leading respectively to the chambers i18 and 18', and said branches are provided with check valves 20 and 20','which permit the fluid to pass, as indicated by the broken arrows, from thev chambers 18 and 18' back into the manifold 3 if, in certain portions of the cycle, the pressure in said chambers- 18 and..18' rises above that in saidmanifold 3'. The manifold 2' is also provided with check valves 21, which permit flow only in the direction of the broken arrows, i. e. toward the pump intake 2. Said 'manifold 2' is preferaby provided, also with air compression chambers, indicated at 22.

The central cylinder 13 is the operating cylinder for the valve rod y11. Its ends are respectively connected with the pipe lines 5 and 7 by pipes 23 and 23', in which are adjustable pressure-actuated relief valves 24 and 24'3 By-passes 25 and 25 areprovided aroun'd' said relief valves, and said by-passes have check valves 26 and 26 which permit flow only in the direction indicated.

The operation of the valve is as follows upon a new cycle begins.

rgeeaaes 1/llissuming the pump 1 to be operating continuously, and the movable valve parts 10, 10' and 11 to be in the position shown, i. e. at the left hand limit of their travel, high pressure fluid will How from the pump l through the left hand portion of the manifold 3', the valve cylinder 9', the ports 17', the chamber 18', and the pipe line 7 to the group of well pump jacks connected therewith, causing said jacks to raise their respective well pump plungers. At the same tlme, spent or low-pressure fluid will return from the other group of jacks (which are lowering their pump plunger-s) through the pipe line 5, the chamber 18, ports 17, valve cylinder 9, and the right hand branch of the manifold 2' to the pump 1.

When the jacks connected with the pipe line 7 complete their power strokes, the pressure in said pipe line rises above the normal working pressure, and causes iuid to flow through the pipe 23' and the relief valve 24', (which is set to open only at suc-h increased pressure) into the left hand end of the cylinder 13. This shifts the valve to the right, the Huid from the right hand end of said cylinder 13 flowing out through ,the by-pass 25 and the check valve 26. The

conditions are now exactly reversed from those described above, so that hlgh-pressure Huid flows out through the pipe line 5, raising its jacks, and low-pressure or spent fluid returns through the pipe line 7 from its jacks. At the end of the power stroke of the jacks on the pipe line 5, the increasing pressure causes fluid to flow through the pipe 23 and the relief valve 24, thereby shifting the valve again to vthe left, where- The operation of the valve is therefore automatic, and is caused by the increasing pressure in the high-pressure line at the end of the power stroke 1of the jacks connected therewith. It will be seen from Fig. 1 that the fluid plssure upon the valve pistons 10 and 10' is balanced at all times, the inner faces of said pistons being exposed to the high pressure fluid in the manifold 3' and their outer faces exposed to the low pressure Huid in the manifold 2'. The valve, therefore, remains in either of its two positions until the pressure upon the actuating piston 12 is reversed.

We have shown, iny Figs. 3 and 4, a preferred form of jack for use as a part of our pumping power system. 27' is a vertical tubular supporting member which is rigidly attached, as, for example, by a flange 28 and bolts 29 as shown in Fig. 4, to the casinghead (not shown) of the well. The lower end of said member has slots 30, in which operates a vertically movable cross-head 3l secured to the upper end of the sucker rod string 32, Fig. 3. A separable connection between the cross-head and said sucker rods lll!) may be made by means of an elongated slot 33, Fig 4, in said cross-head, and a correspondingly shaped head 34 secured to said sucker rods and turned normally at right angles to said slot, as shown.

The cross-head 31 is connected by rods 35, Fig 3, with an upper head 36, which is secure to the upper end of a piston or plunger 37, and said plunger operates in a, cylinder 38 carried by the upper end of the supporting tube 27. Suitable packing is provided at 39, and a suitable guide 40, through which the side rods 35 operate, is secured to the cylinder 38.

Fluid from the pi e line enters at 41, Fig. 3, into ,a valve cham er 42 supported within the tube 27, and passes up through two spaced valve ports 43 and 43' into the cylinder 38. The ports 43 and 43', are closed, at the ends of the stroke of the plungers 37, by respective conical valve plugs 44 and 44', which are carried respectively by a rod 45 and a sleeve 45' secured to and extending downwardly from the plunger head. 36. In the position shown in Fig. 3, in which the plunger is at the upper end of its stroke, the port 43' is closed by the valve plug 44", as shown, thus cutting off the supply of fluid to the cylinder 39. Similarly, at the lower end of the stroke, the port 43 is,4 closed by its valve plug 44, thereby preventing further escape of fluid back into the pipe line. The valve lugs 44 and 44' are conical, as shown, to e ect a gradual closing of the ports 43 and 43', so that the motion of the plunger will be arrested without jar when ,the operating fluid is a liquid, and so that the pressure in the pipe line will not be increased too suddenly upon the closing of the upper valve. The plugs 44 and 44' are slidable upon their respective supports 45 and 45', to enable fluid to pass them at the beginning of each stroke, before the plunger begins to move. The lower plug 44 is held in its normal position, against the nuts 46, by its own weight, and the upper plug 44 is supported upon a spring 46'. The valve plug supports 45 and 45' are adjustably and frictionally held in the plunger head 36 by' means of clamping collars 47 and 47', and packing 48 and 48', respectively, so that the position of the plugs can'be properly set with relation to the length of the stroke. This construction also prevents undue strain upon the' valve plugs or their supports in case of leakage of fluid past said plugs, the vsupports sliding through the plunger head until the latter comes to rest. The plunger 37 is preferably hollow, as shown, and is provided With`an inner tubular lnember 49 surrounding the plug supporting sleeve 45' and secured permanently to the head 36. A compression chamber is. thus provided between said sleeve and the outer wall of the plunger.

The operation of the system as a whole stroke. When the plungers of all the jacks on the line 7 reach the upper ends of their respective strokes, their valve plugs 44 close their ports 43', thus shutting off all outlet from the line 7. The pressure in said line thereupon rises above the normal, thereby causing fluid to pass through the relief valve 24', Fig. 1, into the valve operating cylinder 13and to shift the distributing valve to its opposite position. The high-pressure fluid now passes fromthe pump 1 into the pipe -line 5, and thence tothe jacks at the wells 6, Fig. causing them to elevate theirsucker rods as described above. VAt the same time, the spent or low-pressure fluid from the -jacks at the wells8 returns through the line 7 andthe valve 4 to the xppmp, the plungers of said jacks bein caused to`descend by the weight of the suc er rods attachedthereto. This cycle is repeated automatically as long vas the pump 1 is operated.

It is to be understood that the abovepdescribed means for operating the distributing valve 4 directly by the increasing pressure occuring at the ends of the strokes of the jack plungers is merely a convenient example. The same result may be accomplished by any other suitable means, which will shift the distributing valve, or cause it to be shifted, upon the completion of the strokes of the jack plungers. The essential principle involved is that the distributing valve is controlled by the movement of the jack plungers, and we wish it understood that our invention, as defined in the claims hereunto appended, includes any suitable valve'controlling means operating under said principle.

We claim 1. In an apparatus for the described purpose, means adapted to supply fluid under pressure; a fluid pressure actuated motor device comprising a cylinder and a plunger operable therein; a conduit connecting said device with said fluid supply means; a valve controlled by said device for cutting off its communication with said conduit; and means controlled by the rise in pressure of the fluid in said conduit caused by the closing of-said valve for cutting off the supply of fluid fron'` said supply means to said conduit.

2. In an apparatus for the described purpose, means adapted to supply fluid under pressure; a fluid actuated motor device comprising a cylinder and a plunger operable therein; a conduit connecting said fluid supply means with said cylinder; -a valve seat member in said conduit; a valve stein frictionally held in said plunger for relative movement in the direction of travel thereof; and a valve carried by said stem and adapted to coact With said seat member to close said conduit to the passage of fluid in one direction, said valve being movable upon said stem to permit the passage of fluid in the other direction. l

3. In an apparatus forthe described purpose, means for supplying fluid .under pressure; a `Working cylinder; a plunger operable therein; a valve chamber member positioned atne end of said cylinder and provided with a pair of spaced aligned valve seats; a conduit connecting said Huid supply means with the end of said chamber remote from said cylinder; a. pair of valve stems frictionally held in said plunger for relative movement in the direction of travel thereof and extending menaces into said chamber; and a valve carried by each stem, said valves being adapted to coact munication between said conduit and said cylinder at each end of the travel of said plunger.

4. An apparatus for the described purpose comprising means for supplying Huid under continuous pressure; a plurality oi Working cylinders; a reciprocating plunger in each cylinder; means for distributing the pressure fluid successively to said cylinderstov operate said plungers; a conduit connecting each cylinder with said distributing means; a valve operated by each plunger atthe end of its stroke for closing the conduit vleading to its cylinder; and means actuated by the rise in the pressure of the fluid caused by the closing of said valves for operating sai'd distributing means. r

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification.

WLLIAM G. CREY. CHARLES A. TROW.

'respectively With said seats to close the com- 

